Just One Yesterday
by bellabeautiful27
Summary: Elsie Kensington has returned to Forks after the murder of her father to live with her uncle. Whispers and stares follow her everywhere she goes, the rumors of her strange brother being involved in her father's death swirling through the small town. Needing protection from what threatens her life, Elsie finds herself turning to Bella's other friends: the wolves.
1. Chapter 1

Elsie Kensington sighed, switching off the ignition of her black SUV before resting her head on the steering wheel, taking a few deep breaths. Starting a new high school a few months into the new school year was difficult enough, let alone starting one with people you had previously grown up with for half of your life. It was torture. After another breath Elsie gathered up her courage, grabbing her backpack before stepping out of the car. Head down, she made her way across the parking lot, trying unsuccessfully to block out the whispers and stares she was receiving.

"Oh my God, I that her?"

"She came back? No way…"

"I heard her brother came back with her…"

Picking up her pace a bit, Elsie pulled her hood up over her head, opening the door to the office. She tapped her fingers impatiently on the desk as the secretary printed out her schedule. "I'm sorry, Miss Kensington, but we simply don't have many alternatives to the college courses you were completing at your old school. Advanced English is the best we can do." Folding the schedule into her pocket she forced a small smile. It's fine, thank you." As she turned to leave the office her eyes widened, taking in the curious pods of students staring at her through the glass. Heat colored her cheeks as Elsie pushed past the group of curious onlookers heading across the dreary campus to the building where her first class would be taking place. She sighed in relief as she entered the classroom; only two other students had arrived as early as she had. Skipping the awkward introductions, she handed her slip to the teacher, securing a seat at the back of the classroom as students began filtering in. To give herself some sort of distraction from the stares she pulled out her notebook, doodling along the back cover with a black Sharpie marker.

Pretending to ignore the stares was easy, but the whispers were more difficult. She found herself listening in as her fellow classmates gossiped about her—people she had once considered acquaintances, if not friends, were now speaking about her as if she wasn't sitting right in front of them. Hand clenched into a fist, Elsie grabbed her bag, pushing past the students as the bell rang to get the hell out of there as fast as she possibly could. Much of the day passed in the same fashion: stares and whispers, doodling and distraction. By the time she reached her last class before lunch she had already filled up both the front and back of her notebook with her idle doodles. So far, only one teacher had required her to awkwardly introduce herself, which had went a little something like, "My name is Elsie. Most of you know me already. And if you have something to say, why not say it to my face instead of pretending like I'm not in the room with you." Though the speech hadn't earned her back any of her old friends, it had stopped the whispers from occurring within earshot of her. As the bell rang, signaling the end of her class and the beginning of lunch, Elsie grabbed her bag, trying unsuccessfully to stuff her notebook and textbook inside, instead dumping the entire contents of the bag out on the floor. Great, this delay in getting to lunch would mean she would have to face the curious stares of the entire school all at once. As she stuffed her contents back inside as quickly as possible, her ears picked up on one of the many conversations her peers had been having about her.

"She's a freak—I'm telling you," a boy said. Elsie cautiously glanced up, watching as the boy spoke in hushed voices with a girl who was leaning close to him just outside the door of the classroom.

"I don't know, Luke, I kind of feel sorry for her. I mean, her father is dead and her brother is still a person of interest in his murder…"

"Exactly! That family is whack, Jocelyn. She's probably on the edge of snapping and becoming a serial killer just like her freaky brother," the boy replied, his volume dropping considerably as Elsie stood, glaring at him.

"Maybe I'll give my brother a call and invite you to the reunion, Luke," she spat angrily as she pushed past him, walking quickly into a nearby bathroom. Running into the first stall she came to Elsie locked the door, letting out a yell of despair as she sank to the floor, arms wrapped around her sides, feeling as if she was literally holding herself together. Angry tears streamed down her face as the stares and whispers replayed in her head. _I can't do this_ , she thought, closing her eyes and wishing she could just be back home with her father in their tiny home in Forks, Washington. No rumors, no tragedies, no….

She couldn't even bring herself to say it, the word for the thing her father and brother had become. It seemed surreal; sometimes Elsie wondered if she had imagined the entire thing, made it all up in her head. Maybe she was going insane, but if that was the case then why did she have memories of her brother….

At that Elsie's thoughts broke off, the pain of the block in her mind causing her to bite down on her fingers to keep from screaming. "Your name is Elsie Kensington," she whispered to herself. "You're in Forks, Washington, where you used to live with your father. He's dead, your mother doesn't want you, and you're all alone except for… _him_." Elsie repeated the phrases several times until her breathing regulated, allowing her to stand, wiping the tears from her face. Exiting the stall, she splashed some cool water on her face, beginning to fix her makeup when the bathroom door creaked open. Holding her breath, Elsie froze, glancing at the person from the corner of her eye before breathing again. "Hello, Bella," she whispered, fixing her mascara before turning to face her, flashing a small, fake smile.

Bella didn't smile back. Instead, she took a few steps closer, hesitating as she took in Elsie's disheveled appearance. "Are you…I mean do you…" Bella stammered, searching for the right thing to say. Bella Swan had never been one of Elsie's best friends—in fact, they had merely been acquaintances. Elsie saw her over the summers she spent with her father, Chief Swan. She had been kind enough, from what Elsie knew of her. "Why don't you eat lunch with us?" Bella asked, pointing towards the bathroom door. "I can introduce you to some people…" her voice trailed off, now realizing that introducing Elsie to people would probably be the last thing she would want. Elsie thought for a moment before shrugging her shoulders; what harm could it do, meeting some of Bella's friends. She could use a little moral support if she was going to make it through this last year of high school hell. "Okay," she replied simply.


	2. Chapter 2

Following Bella into the cafeteria, Elsie looked down, her cheeks hot with the embarrassment of all eyes being on her. Entire tables fell silent as they walked by, stares of anger, curiosity, and fear flickering past her in the moments she was brave enough to actually look up. She followed Bella over to a table, staring at the feet of the people who were already seated there. "This is..." Bella's voice trailed off, Elsie smirking as her face turned red. Bella couldn't even remember her name. Elsie supposed it was for the best—after all, wasn't that what she had wanted? A fresh start where no one remembered her or her past. "Elsie," she replied simply, looking at the inhabitants of the table for the first time. Her smile quickly faded as she took in their appearance: the bronze haired boy, the blonde boy who looked as if he was in pain, and the pixie cut girl who looked like she had just stepped off a stage. All painfully gorgeous. All pale. All va…

Elsie groaned in pain, falling to the floor as her vision went white for a few moments. Slowly, it faded back in, the cafeteria replacing the white hot pain that had overwhelmed her mere moments ago. Their faces, their bodies were so close to her. No, no she had to get away. This would certainly anger him and she couldn't afford it. "I have to go," she mumbled, grabbing her bag before running from the cafeteria, pushing past the people in her way as she did so. Fumbling with her keys, her SUV roared to life, Elsie flooring it as she pulled out of the parking lot, driving as far away from the high school and those _things_ as she could get. Before long, she stopped, pulling the key out of the ignition as she stared forlornly at the house. This was no longer the happy, bright place it had been when she shared it with her father. It was now dark, ominous…a prison for her when her brother was home. Swallowing her fear, Elsie entered the house, flicking on all the lights as she moved cautiously through the house. After checking every room, her tensed shoulders relaxed; he wasn't home yet. She had a few more hours of solitude and peace before it began again. Turning towards the stairs Elsie paused, and in a split second a shadow passed by her, pain immediately radiating from her wrist. Looking down, Elsie could scarcely breathe as she watched the blood flow.

Startled by his sudden nearness Elsie screamed as her brother, Grant, grabbed her arm, licking the blood off of her wrist before throwing her away from him, a disgusted look crossing his face. His eyes unfocused for a few minutes before shifting back to normal, a smirk on his face as he leaned against the bannister to the stairs. "Making friends, I see?" She shook her head in quick, tight motions, afraid her discovery of the 'beautiful people' would anger her brother. "Shhhh, it's alright, dear, I'm not angry with you," he said, pulling her stiff body closer to him, forcing her to rest her head against his chest as he smoothed down her hair. "You've been a good little girl, Elsie, and brought me some very useful information. For that, a gift," he said, shoving her roughly away as he clapped his hands, placing a hand on each of her temples before releasing her mere moments later. The action would seem like nothing, an embrace, of sorts, to outsiders. But to Elsie it meant everything. Searching, she found that she could access memories of her father that had previously been blocked, as well as a few other things. "Vampires," she whispered, touching her lips as she uttered the phrase, sighing when the pain didn't hit.

"Yes, dear sister, more vampires." Elsie shook her head, pleading with her brother. "Grant, please, we can leave—we can go back to Seattle. We'll blend in better there. People don't know us as much there now that mom has moved. We don't have to do this, we can—" The pain hit before she could finish her sentence, the force from the slap sending her flying across the room, her body colliding with a bookshelf on the back wall of their living room. "This is my home!" He roared, a growl escaping his throat.

Catching himself, Grant stopped, smoothing down his suit jacket before popping his neck, forcing a chilling smile for her. "I was driven away from this place once before. I won't allow it to happen again, sister. Now, go clean yourself up. And I expect this place to be straightened to perfection by the time I get back from my hunting excursion." Grant walked towards her, bending down to place a kiss on her forehead before disappearing in a blur, leaving Elsie in shock. She sat there on the floor, surrounded by glass from a broken vase and books from the shelf she had collided with.

As she finally snapped back to reality and stood, she could already feel the bruises forming on her body. Shuffling into the kitchen, she grabbed the first aid kit from on top of the refrigerator, just bandaging up her wrist loosely when a knock sounded on the door. Assuming it was just another lost hiker she loosely taped her wrist, shuffling over to the door, still looking down as she pushed on the tape to secure it as she said, "The main road is south of here. The town is about five miles past that and then you ca…" Elsie's mouth hung open as she looked up, Edward and Bella standing in her doorway. "May we enter?" he asked, his eyes flickering around anxiously as he shoved Bella behind him.

Elsie jerked her head back and forth. "No, no, you need to leave. Now! Go!" She cradled her wrist closer to her body after slamming the door closed, sinking to the floor. She could already feel the tears streaming down her face. He would kill her for this, for leading them here. "Elsie, we can help you!" Bella yelled, but she continued to ignore them, too lost in her own thoughts. "I know that you're scared, Elsie, but we can help you. He can't hurt you anymore if you just accept our help." Elsie's breath caught in her throat; how had he known exactly what she was thinking? "I can read minds, Elsie, it's my gift. Similar to your brother's…" At the mention of him Elsie instinctively wrapped her arms around herself a little tighter, her body screaming from the pain he had just inflicted minutes ago.

"How do I know this isn't a trick? How do I know you won't do what he's doing?" She yelled back, still cautious of this stranger. She knew nothing about him—or his family—except that they were the same thing as her brother: _monsters_.

"We aren't like him, Elsie. We don't hurt humans. I couldn't be with Bella if that was the case, now could I?" Elsie was already shaking her head.

"No! You're all the same, I can't trust you! Please leave before he comes back. He's probably already picked up on your scent." Edward sighed, speaking in hushed tones with Bella. Foosteps and then…nothing. Elsie sighed, her tears still flowing down her face.

"Elsie?" She jumped as the door slowly began to open, Bella entering the house. She jumped a few steps away, looking at the ground as Bella took in her appearance. "They are nothing like your brother," she said quietly, clearly afraid of frightening her by speaking too loudly. "But, if you insist on not getting help from them we might have someone else who can help you." Intrigued, Elsie looked up at her, waiting for her to continue. "I have some friends down on the reservation near La Push. They're skilled in…killing vampires. Related to wolves, I've heard," Bella said, Elsie nodding slowly as she caught on. Werewolves were quite rare, but not unheard of. Her brother had come across several humans who had memories of them in their blood.

"Why would they want to help me?" Elsie asked. Bella shrugged. "That's what they're here for, Elsie. To help people against the rogue vampires. We can take you there now, if you want." Bella was leaving it completely up to Elsie. She thought for a few moments, turning around, her eyes scanning the place that had once been her happy home. "Please take me to them before he gets back." Bella nodded, walking back to the car, Elsie following, still cradling her arm close to her chest. She bent down, sliding into the backseat of the Volvo, putting her seatbelt on moments before the car roared to life, Edward driving so quickly that it threw her back against the headrest.


	3. Chapter 3

Things weren't quite as simple as dropping Elsie off with the wolves—in fact it had seemed downright complicated. Bella made a phone call, then moments after hanging up her phone rang, etc. This cycle continued for ten minutes, Edward finally pulling the car over on the side of the road with an exasperated sigh. "We don't have long before he catches up with us. Just agree to meet here and let's be done with it. I don't want a fight right now…" Edward's voice trailed off as he looked around the surrounding woods anxiously. Elsie sat up straighter in her seat, craning her neck to see if she could catch a glimpse of whatever it was Edward was watching for. "Why are we stopped?" She asked, the edge of panic evident in her voice. "A minor complication," Edward responded with a smile. "They'll be here within a few minutes."

Despite his reassurances Elsie could feel herself beginning to lose it. _I never should have left_ , she thought. _He's going to find me. He's going to kill me this time…_ She hadn't realized it but her breathing had become frantic, taking small, short breaths as she tried not to hyperventilate. Bella looked towards Edward worriedly, shoving his shoulder. "You're fine, Elsie, just calm down. Look, there's Sam," he added, pointing in the direction of a beat up old car that was pulling off the road across from them. Bella exited the vehicle, Edward at her side, as they exchanged a few tense words with the man he had identified as Sam. Elsie studied him carefully; he was _huge_ —and even that was an understatement. She thought it odd that he had chosen to don cutoff shorts and no shirt on this chilly day.

Faster than she could process, her car door opened, the cool air chilling her skin, causing her to shiver involuntarily. Edward gently pulled her from the vehicle, releasing her once they were in front of Sam, an invisible line seeming to keep the two of them from moving any closer to the other. "Don't expect us to do this every time one of your pets is in danger," Sam spat, grabbing Elsie by the arm, pulling her behind him. Edward growled quietly, Bella placing a hand on his chest to restrain him. "She's been through a lot, Sam." He looked from Bella to Elsie, taking in her disheveled appearance, the tear tracks still evident on her face, not to mention the bruises appearing on the small amount of skin she had showing. Sighing heavily, Sam nodded, gently ushering Elsie over to his car, closing the door securely behind her.

Though Edward had reassured her that she was safe, Elsie still couldn't relax any-jumping at every car horn, splash of water, rumble of thunder. How was this seemingly _normal_ , yet huge, man possibly going to protect her from her sadistic brother? She was beginning to doubt her decision to accept the help Bella offered her when the car stopped, parked in front of a quaint house. Just looking at it made some of her tension melt away. It felt…peaceful here. Sam closed his door loudly, causing Elsie to jump before opening her own, cautiously getting out of the car. Her head jerked around, taking in her surroundings while also looking for any sign of her brother.

"You're safe here," Sam repeated, echoing Edward's words from before. Elsie nodded, still unsure. Shaking his head, Sam led her into the house. It had been fairly quiet outside, the only sounds were those of the forest animals and the pitter-patter of the steadily falling rain. Yet inside it was bursting with life—laughs, growls, and raised voices filled the air. Hesitating a bit before entering, Elsie first peeked inside, turning her head to the side a bit when she saw the ferocious wolf pack. They were just…boys—many of them too young to even be out of high school, let alone putting their life on the line to fight vampires like her brother. "You've brought back another stray," one of the boys said loudly, gesturing to Elsie. Another raised his hand, yelling out, "Can I have this one?!" Sam held up his hands, the entire room falling silent. "She's under our protection until it's safe for her. We'll arrange a schedule to watch her house at night while she's asleep and—" Elsie cleared her throat, cutting him off.

"That isn't necessary."

Sam stood up tall, narrowing his eyes at the small new girl who was questioning his authority. "And why is that?"

Elsie shrugged, replying, "I can't go home. He'd kill me before you even had the chance to catch his scent."

"Won't your uncle freak if you _don't_ come home?" a third boy asked, taking a large bite of a muffin he was eating as he finished. A laugh escaped her lips before she could hold it back. Everyone in the room looked at her with strange expressions. Clearly, explanations were in order…but not fully. She couldn't face reliving her past with these…strangers.

"My uncle doesn't exist," she said, quietly continuing. "My father was killed by the Volturi after my brother upset them. He took me from my mother and blocked her memory of me. So…there's no one else." The room was silent for a long time, a beautiful girl entering with a casserole dish, placing it down on the table before turning to face her. Elsie held her breath, letting it out as soon as she realized. The girl was beautiful—except for the huge scare that marred one half of her face. "Are you staying for supper? There's plenty to go around," she asked, playfully slapping at the hand of one of the boys who reached for the dish.

Elsie shook her head, wrapping an arm around her waist, looking down as the woman's eyes rested on her wrist. Self-consciously, Elsie shoved her hands into her pockets, but it was too late. The girl motioned to her, leading her into the kitchen while the chattering of the wolf pack picked up again. She silently unwrapped her wrist, cleaning the now healing wound before dressing it properly. "There, that's better now, isn't it?" Elsie nodded, opening her mouth to speak before closing it again.

"Why are you being so nice to me?" she finally asked. The woman, who had introduced herself as Emily, shrugged. "Because you deserve it. It sounds like life has been unfair to you; everyone needs a little kindness in their lives, Elsie." She gave her a quick smile before mumbling something under her breath as the sound of breaking ceramic floated from the dining room.

Elsie stayed away from the others as they finished up dinner, only coming back into the room as she heard the boys beginning to leave. "What about her?" A boy named Embry asked. "I mean, she can share a bed with me anytime," he added with a wink. Else felt herself blush, looking down at the snickers she received. "She should stay with Billy," Emily interrupted. "He could use the help until Jacob decides to come home." The boys looked between each other, nodding in turn before looking to Sam, waiting for his ultimate decision. Elsie got the feeling nothing happened in this pack without Sam's approval. He eventually nodded, motioning for Elsie to follow him.

As they walked, Sam explained the situation with Billy, and that his son, Jacob, had left after a girl he cared deeply about had chosen someone else over him. Elsie was fairly certain this someone pertained to Bella, but kept her mouth shut; it was clear this was still a sore subject among the pack.

Things with Billy had been awkward at first—as it should be. Neither of them knew anything about the other, aside from the hurried introductions Sam had exchanged between them. But, over time, Elsie found that living with Billy was easy. Being in a wheelchair, he could use some assistance at times, and Elsie was more than happy to help. After a few days she had learned that Billy was not skilled in the kitchen, and took over responsibility for meals, something she had always been charge of in the past. Her father had been rubbish at cooking, and then he hadn't needed to after…

Her thoughts trailed off as she yawned, kissing Billy on the cheek before heading into her room, flopping down on Jacob's bed. He'd been gone for a long time, and she could tell his absence had hardened Billy. She drifted off to sleep wondering if he would ever actually return.


	4. Chapter 4

[Jacob POV]

He'd been gone far too long, and it wasn't fair. Not to his father and not to his pack. Jacob had needed the months during his absence to put himself back together again, and to mourn the loss of the only woman he would ever love. Bella had been everything to him, and knowing that he had lost her to that _bloodsucker_ …

His hands began trembling, causing him to take a few deep breaths until it stopped. The urge to phase was unmistakable; he had spent most of his time in his wolf form during his absence anyway. Being human again felt…strange. Foreign. He already longed for the forest, his fur swaying in the wind as he ran. Nothing else mattered when he was a wolf. There were no voices, no pain, no feelings. It was no way to live, but it was what he had to do in order to survive the heartache. He sighed heavily as he stood in front of the house, working up the courage to enter.

 _This is ridiculous,_ he thought, _He's your father; he'll understand…_ Jacob shoved his hands into his pockets as he walked up onto the porch, his hand poised to knock before moving to turn the doorknob, entering quietly, as the hour was late. He smirked slightly; of course Billy was still up. He doubted he had been sleeping much at all since his departure from Forks. Billy worried about him, but Jacob had tried his best to check in with Sam and let everyone know he was still alive. Clearly, he hadn't been doing a good enough job. Taking a few steps closer, Billy jumped, startled by the sudden movement in his house. Wheeling his chair around, his eyes widened in shock, taking in the sight of his son for the first time in months.

"You look older," Jacob insulted, with a smile. Billy held open his arms, holding Jacob in a hug for longer than felt comfortable. Jacob explained some of what he had done in his absence, sparing his father the gory details of just how much pain he had been in. Yawning, Jacob stood, stretching before taking a few steps towards his room. "Well, I'm beat, I think I'll just get a few hours of sleep before I go and see the pack." Billy was rolling quickly after him, whispering, "Jacob wait, don't—"

But he was too late. Jacob had already opened the door to his room, shocked at seeing someone else in his bed—a girl, at that! "Who the hell is she?!" he whispered angrily, gesturing to the girl. Billy was about to answer when the girl stirred in her sleep, turning onto her side, facing Jacob and Billy. Jacob held his breath, waiting a few seconds before turning towards her, making sure she was still asleep.

His breath caught in his throat, eyes focused on nothing but her face, everything else falling out of focus. Heart skipping, Jacob took a few steps closer, kneeling down on the floor, mere inches from where she slept, staring at her. Nothing could move him right now, and nothing else mattered. In this moment, all that mattered to him was this beautiful creature, her chest rising and falling evenly as she slumbered. "Jacob," Billy hissed, rolling in to grab his arm and pull him from the room. Jacob didn't budge—he couldn't. He couldn't move from his spot. He was vaguely aware that Billy was trying to pull him from the room, but it didn't matter.

He wasn't sure how long he sat there for. The only thing strong enough to break his obsession was the deep howl of Sam, the pack's alpha. His head snapped up, eyes focusing on the room around him for the first time in hours. He stole one last glance at the girl before forcing himself to leave the room, lightly closing the door behind him so as to not disturb her.

Heading outside, Jacob stopped short, the entire pack staring at him incredulously, Billy nearby, hands crossed on his lap. "What's up, Jake?" Embry asked, a smirk on his face. Jacob shook his head, apologizing to Billy. "I'm sorry, I don't know what came over me. I guess the stress of everything just finally caught up to me." Paul snickered, Sam's elbow connecting with his ribs to silence him.

"Jacob," Sam started, choosing his words carefully before continuing. "You imprinted."


	5. Chapter 5

Elsie groaned as sunlight streamed through the room, her alarm clock sounding for the third time. Slamming down the snooze button she begrudgingly sat up, shoving the blanket off her as she shut the alarm off angrily. Why couldn't she just be done with school already? Taking a quick shower, Elsie cursed as she checked the time. She barely had enough time to get dressed and make some toast, let alone dry her hair or apply makeup. She grabbed the closest articles of clean clothing she could find, jumping through the house as she slipped on her shoes, popping her toast down. 

Elsie didn't bother turning when the door opened, knowing it would be Sam coming in to hurry her up; he typically dropped her off at school each morning, and Edward would drive her back to his family home until a member of the pack could pick her up in the evenings. This schedule had been working well for them until the other vampire they were tracking became braver, crossing over into their territory far too often for their liking. As such, Elsie had been getting shuffled over to the Cullens more than she was comfortable with while the wolves tracked the red-haired vampire through the town. 

By this point, she trusted that they weren't going to kill her—they couldn't have kept Bella alive this long if any of them were _that_ type of vampire. But still, it felt unnerving. They reminded her so much of her brother with their pale, cold skin, quickness, and lack of appetite for 'human' food. Alice seemed to bother her the least, as she seemed the most human, in a way. And Carlisle wasn't bad either; his job at the hospital had required him to act human more often than the others. Esme had actually started to feel like somewhat of a mother figure for her, often reminding her to do her homework and preparing a small (or large) snack for her after she returned home from school. And then there was Emmett – the inappropriate big brother that Elsie wouldn't have minded having around. Life with the Cullens was different, but it wasn't bad by any means. 

Elsie piled her wet hair into a bun on her head, securing it with a hairband before quickly running some mascara through her lashes, the only makeup she had time for. As her toast popped up, Elsie slung her backpack on her back, wrapping the toast up in a paper towel before turning towards the door. "I'm ready, Sam!" she called, expecting him to have retreated outside to the porch to wait impatiently for her. But as she looked up, Elsie saw that it was not Sam standing there waiting for her, but someone she had never seen before. She froze for a moment, awkwardly looking left and right in confusion, searching for someone who could explain who the hell this was for her. 

"Hey," he said, waving at her momentarily before shoving his hands back into the pockets of his shorts. Taking in his appearance, Elsie determined he had to be a member of the pack; he was just a large as Sam, and wore the standard uniform of the pack: a sleeveless top and cutoff jean shorts—though, most of them rarely ever bothered with a shirt in the first place. "Hi…" she replied hesitantly as he approached her, gently taking her backpack from her and walking towards the door. "You're going to be late," he warned, motioning for her to follow him. Elsie stood there for a few more moments before shrugging, following him outside. 

"No way in hell I'm getting on that!" Elsie exclaimed, spotting the boy's chosen form of transportation – a motorcycle. The boy laughed, tossing her a helmet. "It's either this or you're skipping school today." 

"But I don't even know who the hell you are! How am I supposed to trust your skills on this…this…death trap!" She crossed her arms over her chest, seriously contemplating just skipping school altogether. He smirked at her, before replying, "I'm Jacob Black. Now, are you coming or not? Sam will be pissed if I let you skip, but it's up to you…" Elsie tilted her head to the side, her eyes narrowing as she examined him for a moment, trying to determine if he was kidding or not. He looked fairly serious despite the constant smirk that seemed to be glued to his face. Sighing in anger, she finally gave in, climbing onto the motorcycle behind him, mumbling, "Stupid English Lit test…" After placing the helmet on her head and instructing her to hold on tight, Jacob sped away, Elsie burying her head against his back and closing her eyes. If they were going to die in a fiery explosion she didn't want to see it. 

It seemed that only minutes had passed before Jacob pulled onto the parking lot of Forks High, coming to a stop near the front entrance, shutting off the motor amid stares and glares of curious onlookers. Elsie finally opened her eyes, relieved and invigorated by the ride to school. Removing the helmet, she fixed her damp hair quickly before handing the helmet back to Jacob, taking her backpack from him. "Thanks," she said, flashing a small smile for him. "That was actually kind of great." He nodded, staring at her directly for longer than Elsie was accustomed to. She felt heat rush to her cheeks as she forced herself to look down, awkwardly shifting her weight from one foot to the other. 

"I'll pick you up here after school lets out," he explained, looking over Elsie's shoulder before quickly continuing. "See you later!" Elsie turned to find Edward and Bella fast approaching, Bella glaring at her angrily. Before she could process the look she was giving her, the motorcycle roared to life, Jacob speeding away. "Jake, wait-" Bella exclaimed, kicking a nearby rock as she watched him speed off. "When did he get back?" she asked, turning to Elsie. 

"I'm not sure," Elsie said, shrugging. "He was just there when I woke up this morning." She glanced over at Edward who was smirking, trying to cover his mouth with his hand as Bella turned around, stalking off towards her first class. "What was that about?" Elsie asked him quietly. Edward pat her on the shoulder gently, replying, "You'll have to ask Jacob about that someday." He tried not to look hurt as Elsie instinctively flinched away from his touch. After the years of uncertainty and abuse she had endured from her brother she found it hard to _not_ react negatively to the touch of a vampire. 

As Elsie made her way through her day she couldn't help but let her thoughts wander to this new guy, this 'Jacob Black' she had heard so much about. He seemed almost like a legend—someone who was spoken about often but never actually seen in person. She was beginning to think he would never return home in the first place. Smiling, she imagined the look on Billy's face when he found out his son had finally returned home after being gone for so long. Much to her confusion, Elsie found that thoughts of Jacob not only excited her, but also made her feel sad, as if she could burst into tears at any moment. The complexity of the emotions was overwhelming her, and she found herself skipping class, hiding out in the school library. As she sat on the floor, knees pulled into her chest, she tried to hold herself together. 

"Are you doing alright, Elsie?" She jumped, having not heard Edward sit down next to her. Elsie shrugged, trying to put her thoughts into words but failing. Edward laughed, gaining a deadly glare from Elsie. How could he laugh at her when she was feeling this way?! Quickly apologizing, Edward was silent for several moments before speaking again. "What you're feeling is…normal, given your situation." 

"What situation?" Elsie asked angrily. "I wake up to a stranger offering to take me to school on a motorcycle. Then Bella—one of the only friends I have—gets pissed at me for no damn reason and avoids me. I can't stop thinking about him and all that makes me want to do is cry. Tell me how this is normal in _any_ way, Edward!" Elsie had heard others joke about 'love at first sight'—but she had never believed it could be a real feeling. Yet, how else could she explain her feelings for Jacob? She had just met him and felt more connected to him than she ever had any of her previous boyfriends. There was something about him that she couldn't resist. The entire situation was maddeningly frustrating. 

"Just…hold on for a little longer. Jacob will be here to pick you up from school and everything will be explained later." Flashing her a small smile, Edward stood, leaving her. He never tried to stay near her for too long. _He's a mind reader,_ Elsie reminded herself. _He can probably see how uncomfortable his kind makes me…_ Edward had no reason to lie to her, so Elsie did just as he said. She forced herself to move throughout her day in an almost robotic state, glancing at the clock every few minutes, counting down the seconds until she could see Jacob again.


End file.
